Vehicle-spring



(No Model.) l 3 sheets-sheet 1.

W. I. vBUNKER.

VEHICLE SPRING.

No. 373.267. Patented Nov. 15, 1887.

(N9 Modem 3 sheets-Sheen 2.

' W. 1. BUNKBR.

K VEHICLE SPRING.

l No. 373,267. Patented Nov. 1-5, 1887..

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

W. 1. BUNKER.

VEHICLE SPRING.

Patented Nov. 15,1887.

Hummm N. PETERS, Phatu-Lithagmpher, wnxmngxan. D L

and a part of the buggy-bed, the spring entended to operate as acompression and exten- -cross-bar, or axle; d, the projecting portionsUNITED STATES WILLIAM BUNKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE- SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,267, datedNovember` 15, 1887.

Application filed Angust23,1886.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I. BUNKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Uhix cago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Springs, of which the followingis a specification.

My present invention is an ilnprovcment on the one described in mypatent of June .9, 1885, N o. 319,555; and it consists, particularly, inthe manner of applying and lastening t-he springs, hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of anordinary buggy with my improved springs applied at the ends of its bed;Fig. 2, a side elevation of the spring circling a tube or core; Fig. 3,a vertical section taken in line x x of Fig. 2; Fig. 4., a sideelevation of the buggy'with the springs at both the ends and sides ofthe bed; Fig. 5, an end view of part of the buggy-bed, showing thespring connected to the sidebar; Fig. 6, a vertical section taken inline y y of Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and 8, side elevations of theattachingbracket; Fig. v9, the same as Fig. 2, except that the tube isoutside of the spring; Fig. 10, a side elevation of the spring and partof the buggy, but showing a modification of the devices eonnecting it tothe side bar or axle, and Fig. 11 a vertical section of the tube or coreformed in one piece.

A is the spring; B, the tube, and b its screwthread; C, the upper endcap or cover; D, the lower end cap; E, the connecting-rod; F, thebuggy-bed; G, the bracket attaching and securing the spring to the bed;H, the side bar,

or clips of the lower end cap, forming a rei taining-clip, and d theclip-bar under the axle.

My present form of spring is preferably insion spring, as described inmy patent above referred to; but in practice I have found it desirableto have the spring encircle a tube or large core, preferably of metal,through which, when a tube is used, the rod connecting the ends or endcaps of the spring is inserted. This tube or core should be'somewhatsmaller in outside diameter than the inside diameter Serial No. 211,676.(No model.)

of the spring, so as. to be capable of being inserted therein. Insteadof forming a screwthread on the tube or core, a separate piece orcasting, b', Fig. 6, containing Vsuch screwthread may bc used. Thispiece or casting has an annular recess, into which the end of the tubefits and is held by the rod connecting the end or end caps of thespring.

A suitable screwthread, b, may be formed on the outside of the tube orcore at or near one end-say the upper end-adapted to be screwed into thecoils, particularly between the last coil and the one next to it, andthus operate to rigidly secure the same tothe spring. lhe cap or cover Gis put on top of the tube and spring; and this cap has an annular rimthat encircles the screw-thread ofthe tube and coils of the spring for ashort distance-'say half an inch-and is also provided with a centralhole for the passage 0f the rod intended to connect the ends 'or endcaps of the spring.

The bracket G is adapted to be securedto the bed of the buggy, and has ascrew-thread adapted to be coiled into the spring at the lower end ofits close coils. This bracket is put on by screwing in from the lowerend of the' coils to the point here suggested-thatis to a point where itencircles orihas a bearing on one of the close coils-and in this way isrigidly and firmly fastened to the spring. Its other end may of coursebe secured to the buggy-bed by screws, bolts; or in any other convenientway. The endv cap or cover, D, which is of course large enough to haveits annular rim encircle the coils of the spring, is then put on, andthe connectingrod, passing through the central hole therein, secured bya nut or in any other convenient Way. `The screwing of the nut will ofcourse bring the end caps against the ends of the tube or core,

and in this way firmly and rigidly connect the whole together. Thethreaded ends of the connecting-rod, onto which the nut is screwed, vmaybe at either the upper or lower end of the spring, as desired.

In order to secure the spring and its attachments to the side bar,cross-bar, or axle the lower end cap may be provided withdownwardly-projecting clips or parts d, adapted to straddle the same, soas to have one pass down at each side thereof. These clips are prefer-IOO ably extended a slight distance below the axle, to receive aclipbar, d', and the Whole is then rigidly and firmly secured by screws,nuts, or otherwise. In this way I form from the tube, end caps,connecting-rod, Sie., asingle bracket, as it were, which operates tosecure both ends of the spring to the axle, side bar, cross-bar, orother suitable part of the running-gear, While the other bracket, G,serves to secure the spring from its body or central part to thebuggy-bed. Of course the manner of attachment may be reversed when founddesirable, so as to have each spring secured to the bed from its endsand to the axles or bars from ils body or central part.

I prefer to secure at least four of these springs to the buggy-bed andaxles or bars; but ofcourse more may be used, if desired, or possiblyless in some cases. These springs being thus secured rigidly to the hedand side bars or axles, preferably in such a way as to permit one partof each to be compressed as another is extended, serve to support thebuggy-bed and its occupants and also provide for an easy and delightfulup-and-do\vn motion, as required by the jolting of the buggy, whichmotion is of course largely affected or regulated by the compressing andextending of the springjust described.

In Fig. 9 I have shown the tube encirclingr the spring instead of insideof'it. In Fig. I() I have shown a modified form of supportingbracket, orbracket used to connect the spring to the axle or side hars, and in Fig.Il I have shown the screw-threads, lower cap, and clip projections allcast integral with the tube or core; but in all these modifications theidea of having my spring secured and operated in `the general way abovedescribed is intended to be preserved.

I claim- 1. In combination With a buggy or other Vehicle, a compoundcompression and extension spiral spring having alternating series ofcoils, the coils of one series being adapted to be opened or extended asthe coils of the other series are closed or compressed, such springbeing rigidly secured to the running-gear of the vehicle from its endsand to the bedfrom its body or central part, or vice versa,substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a spring attachment for vehicles,comprising a tube or core, a compound compression and extension spiralspring having alternating series of coils, the coils of one series beingadapted to be opened or extended as the coils of the other series areclosed or compressed, and means for securing the same to the bed andrunning-gear of the vehicle, substantially as described.

3. As a new article oi" manufacture, aspring attachment for vehicles,comprising a spiral spring, a tube or core connected thereto and havingdownWardly-projecting clips integral therewith to secure it to therunning-gear, and a bracket to secure the Whole to the bed of thevehicle, substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manu factu re, a spring attachment for vehicles,comprising a spiral spring having close coils in one part and open coilsin another, a tube or core havinga screw-` thread at one end to secureit to the coils of the spring and clips at the other to secure it to therunning-gear, and means for securingthe whole to the bed of the vehicle,substantially as described.

5. An attach ment for vehicle-springs, comprising a bracket orconnecting mechanism having one part adapted to be secured to the bed orrunning-gear of a vehicle and another part adapted to be secured to bothends of a spiral spring, substantially as described.

IILLIAM I. BUNKER.

V'Vitnesses:

EPHRAIM BANNING, M. B. BNNING.

